Cotton farmers in Yadgir are facing losses as heavy rainfall damages their crops.
2024-10-21 12:30:17
Yadgir's cotton farmers are losing money because of crop damage from excessive rain.
Recent downpours in Yadgir district, caused by a weather depression, have created a cold and cloudy atmosphere over the past few days, posing a serious threat to cotton crops. Many fields, especially cotton farms, are either waterlogged or have sustained damage due to the rain.
For the kharif season, the target for cotton sowing in the district was 1,86,296 hectares, with 1,66,662 hectares (89.46%) achieved so far. Farmers across the district had begun sowing as soon as the monsoon rains started, although some delayed due to a mid-monsoon rain shortage. As a result, the cotton crop is at varying stages of growth. While early planters are currently harvesting, in many areas, the crops have just reached maturity.
The recent rains, however, threaten to damage the lower buds of the cotton plants, which could impact the final yield. “Continuous rainfall is endangering the cotton crops. Early rains during the onset of the monsoon were beneficial, which encouraged large-scale sowing. If it hadn't rained now, most farmers would have already harvested their crops," explained farmer Mallikarjun Patil.
Adding to their woes, cotton growers are also dealing with a drop in market prices. Currently, cotton prices range between ₹6,130 and ₹6,500 per quintal, depending on quality. This price, however, does not cover the costs incurred by farmers for seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, and labor.
Despite the unprofitable rates, many farmers are forced to bring their harvest to market due to obligations like loan repayments.
Chamaras Malipatil, honorary president of the Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha, emphasized the need for legislation on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for agricultural products. “The only solution is to introduce a law guaranteeing MSP for farm produce. If the central government enacts such a law, farmers can confidently sell their produce, whether in APMC Yards or to private traders,” he said.
